Book Review: Under Fishbone Clouds; Sam Meekings.

So having taken twelve days to read this book, my reading month is off to a fantastic start. Yes, that was sarcasm. Still, I'm glad that I've finally read it. It has been on the list for months.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Under Fishbone Clouds
AUTHOR: Sam Meekings
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Birlinn
PAGES: 412
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Romance

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
When the Kitchen God is challenged by the Jade Emperor to fathom the workings of the human heart, he chooses to follow the life of Jinyi and his wife Yuying, from their blossoming love until their old age, in hope of finding an answer. The Kitchen God watches as the new government strictures split their family in two, living inside their hearts as they they endure the loss of two children, homesickness, and isolation, all while keeping alive a love that survives famine, forced labor, and even death. Weaving together the story of their life with China’s recent political history, as well as traditional folktales and myths, the Kitchen God illuminates the most impenetrable aspects the human condition.

What I Liked:

• Meekings writes very well. I was captivated by his realistic portrayal of China over the last century, as well as his wonderful re-tellings of ancient legends and myths. He did a good job of breaking up the story, while managing to keep me interested in what would happen next. There were a lot of beautiful quotes in this book too!
• The narrator that Meekings chose, the Kitchen God, was very likeable indeed! I'm a big fan of the use of narrators (as long as it is done well) and this book was certainly no exception. He had a sense of humour and an ironic outlook on the plot which I enjoyed reading. I also liked getting to hear his story, and his thoughts on the Celestial Kingdom as well as the the realm of mortals.

What I Disliked:

• I felt a little confused at times. The book jumps around in time and viewpoint quite a lot, and so I forgot characters that existed frequently. I found it quite hard to get my head around the number of names that were being thrown at me, especially as they were all similar.
• The main couple were nice to read, but I didn't get as attached to them and their plight as I would have liked to. They went through quite a lot as the book progressed and their relationship was tested in many ways by the political happenings around them. Yet, as their tragic tale progressed, I didn't find myself getting as upset as I thought I would.

Overall Conclusion:

A really great story, with a well-researched plot and likeable characters. The narrator was fantastic and the story was gripping, full of twists that threw it in a completely different direction to what I was expecting. Though the writing style was beautiful, I wish that I had become a little more attached to the main characters within the story. The plot became confusing at times and I sometimes muddled characters up. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt too, though this was only a minor niggle. It was an enjoyable read however, well worth a look for those who like Asian Literature.

Life Of A Blogger: 'Scents'.

This is one of those topics that I've never really thought about until now. I have a lot of favourite scents, and also a lot that I ate, so I'll start with the really nice ones:

• Men's cologne/deodorant.
• Flowery perfumes.
• Chocolate.
• New books.
• Curry.
• Strawberries.

And some that I really don't like:

• Wet dog.
• Paint.
• Fast food restaurants. Subway/McDonalds/KFC, etc.
• Cheesy pizza.
• Cigarettes.

Top Ten Tuesday: My picks for 'Character Driven Novels'.

I sense that this could be a difficult subject this week, as whether a novel is 'character-driven' or 'plot-driven' is arguable in a lot of cases, dependent on the reader's opinion. In this case, I will write of the Top Ten Books that had the most interesting, unique, quirky or memorable characters that I have read. That does not mean I don't think the plot was strong, it just means I loved reading about these characters!


1) The 'Harry Potter' Series by J.K. Rowling.

When I think of memorable, unique characters then J.K. Rowling always springs to mind. There are a huge number of characters in this entire series. Wizards, witches, animals, creatures, muggles, etc. All of them were fun, unique and great to read! I think the characters in the Harry Potter series will always be my favourite thing about the books. Truly unforgettable and a masterclass in how characterisation should be done.


2) The 'Cat Royal' Series by Julia Golding.

I read this series quite a while back and adored it. Namely because the characters were so well-written. Cat, the main character, is feisty with a great sense of humour. Her many friends and enemies have great personalities too and I remember them well. Even when I felt the plot start to lose it a little, I loved and kept reading these books because the characters were so fantastic!

3) 'Inkheart' by Cornelia Funke.

I used to adore this book when I was younger. A book about a man with the ability to read characters out of books? Fantastic! And those characters were imaginative too, with funny names and memorable personalities. The villains were chilling, the heroes easy to root for. But above all that, Dustfinger was the first ever Anti-Hero archetype that I fell in love with. That's got to mean something, right?



4) 'The Name Of The Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss.

This was such a great book. It's one of my favourite Fantasy novels of all time. And one of the main factors that contributed to that were the fantastic characters! It's been quite a while since I read it but I remember loads of them and really loved (or hated, depending on the character) them too. If you're looking for huge personalities, read this book!


5) 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky.


This is a very character-driven novel. It hasn't got a massively interesting plot, but what it does have is interesting and unusual characters that you can really take notice of. They comprise of some of my favourite characters of all time too. Charlie is adorable, Sam is so much fun, Patrick is someone I would love to exist, etc. This book is so highly reviewed and in my opinion, it's all thanks to the characters.


6) 'The Fault In Our Stars' by John Green.

There are some great characters in this fantastic book. Hazel Grace is such a strong, grounded main character. Gus is delightfully arrogant yet hilarious. And don't get me started on Isaac. I don't think I can fully express how much I love that guy.




7) 'A Game Of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin.

The characters in this book win all of the points for shock value. There are just and honorable heroes that I love rooting for. There are also some villains that reduce me to a puddle of hatred, they are that bad. I can't wait to see this series progress, and how those characters develop.



8) 'Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe' by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

There aren't a huge number of characters in the book, but the few that there are all count. I really got a feeling that no one got pushed onto the sidelines in this story, and I loved it! A fantastic story, with even more impressive character writing.


9) 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl.

I could probably pick on a lot of Roald Dahl books here (James & The Giant Peach anyone?) but I chose Matilda in particular. That's because it's the first book that I remember really loving the characters from. Matilda was a heroine to adore if ever there was one. The Trunchbull was the most terrifying villain I have ever read. The Wormwoods were so cruel that I reveled in their misfortunes. And Miss Honey had such a tragically beautiful back-story that I could not help but love her.

10) 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak.

I think anyone who has read this book will know why I chose it. The characters were so interesting to read! Liesel and Rudy were the sweetest couple that weren't a couple that I have ever seen on page. I loved the integration of Liesel into her new family, and the role that each member takes on. And the whole thing is narrated by Death for heavens sake. Could they have picked a more interesting character? I think not.

Last Week's Shenanigans (September 29th - October 5th)...

So some of the more observant of you might have noticed the title of this looks a little different. You might have also noticed that I didn't actually wrote a post last week. The reason? I'm not happy with this weekly post. It feels repetitive and a bit unnecessary. I'm going to do a bit of an experiment and see if I can change the way this post runs. So here goes!

Obviously at the start of the week I had a day off (I have Mondays and Sundays free) and I spent the day in the Flat. We played Monopoly and watched a couple of films, including Tarzan, Friends With Benefits and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! It turned out to be a really fun day. I had work for the next five days which wasn't so fun, but around that I finally started Game Of Thrones Season 4 and watched Nine! I've been waiting so long to get into these episodes and I'm two in. something pretty big has happened and I can't wait to spend the rest of the Season working out who was behind it! After a week at work, Mat and I visited his family on Sunday. We had Roast dinner, watched a bit of TV and had a general catch-up with how things were in our old home town. When we arrived back in the Flat, Mat and I read some book and watched Sin City for the first time. It was a fantastic film, with a really interesting style.

I Reviewed:

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Were Hard For Me To Read
Life Of A Blogger: Most Prized Possession
Six Degrees Of Separation: 1984, George Orwell

I Posted:

September Wrap-Up Post
Planned Reads For October
Bookish Bingo (Sept-Nov Sign-Up Post)
The Reading Tag

The Reading Tag!

I am so sorry Amy (That Hypermobile Girl) for taking so flipping long to do this! Seriously guys, she tagged me way back in July I think, and I have no real excuses as to why it actually did take me so long. Never mind though, time to get started.

1) Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I don't really no, I like to read in bed. Or on the Sofa. There isn't a special reading area for me, but I have to be comfortable!

2) Bookmarks or random pieces of paper?

Definitely the latter, though I wish I could say that I used Bookmarks more. I have plenty of them, they just never seem to be around when I want to mark a page! I end up grabbing whatever spare bit of paper, post-it note, old train ticket etc. that I can find!

3) Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a certain number of pages/chapter?

Hmmm. I can just stop reading but I don't like to if I can possibly help it. I try to reach the end of a chapter because it feels right. If I'm on the Tube or Train though, I sometimes have to just stop, and I do (even though it really annoys me).

4) Books you're currently reading?

I only like to read one book at a time, so currently, 'Under Fishbone Clouds' by Sam Meekings. After that, I plan to get onto 'Witch Of Salt & Storm' by Kendall Kulper.

5) Do you watch TV or listen to music while reading?

I have been known to do that yes. I find it easier to listen to music as noise doesn't distract me as much as moving images in the corner of my eye.

6) One book at a time or several at once?

Normally, as I said, I read one book at a time. It's easier to focus that way. I have found though, with intimidating, long books, that I might like to break them up a bit with another read.

7) Reading at home or everywhere?

Definitely everywhere. I read at home, on the Tube, the train, at other people's houses, if I'm waiting for something, etc. Anywhere that I can possibly read, I will (without being rude that is).

8) Favourite book?

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

9) Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

I like looking at new books but to be honest, if the spine breaks then I don't get overly upset. I don't like really worn looking books as much though.

10) Do you write in your books?

Nope! Never! The idea is just absurd to me. My teachers used to encourage me to in school copies, but I used post-it notes. I couldn't stand it!

11) Do you eat or drink while reading?

Yeah, all the time. I'm quite a messy eater too, but I try to be careful around the books. I'd hate to get them grubby!

12) Reading loudly or silently in your head?

I always read silently in my head, unless I'm reading for analysis (like I used to in English). Then I read aloud to make sure I don't skim anything.

13) Do you ever read ahead or skip pages?

I used to be one of those awful people that reads the last page to see of my favourite characters were still alive. Those days are over now, I don't like to do that!

My Tags:
Valerie from Innocent Smiley Reviews
Chrissi from Chrissi Reads
Mel from The Daily Prophecy
Julia from Books, Babies and Boredom

Six Degrees Of Separation (1984; George Orwell)

It's that time of the month again, the first Saturday! That can only mean one Meme. Six Degrees Of Separation! As always,  it's hosted by the lovely Annabel Smith and Emma Chapman and I suggest visiting their blogs and giving this game a try!

Oh my word. Could it be? A book I have actually read this time? That's right, this month's book is George Orwell's classic, '1984', and there are so many different paths I could go down with this one! 

My first chosen book could be one that a few people would go for, but others might not agree with. 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins is a Dystopian Fiction, that tells a tale of how our world could look in years to come (that is, if something went horribly wrong). '1984', though older, essentially does the same thing. While George Orwell's version is probably far more speculative, mature and politically motivated, I enjoyed them both and while reading one, I think of the other.

My next pick, Veronica Roth's 'Divergent' is similar. In both stories, people are divided into groups. They are controlled in some way by a corrupt Government, the strong heroines of the story are forced to learn to be stronger and both books have received huge amounts of hype as well as movie adaptions. They are both really good books too, I thoroughly enjoyed them.

'Poison Study' by Maria V. Snyder came to mind because like 'Divergent' it has a very strong female lead. Both Yelena and Tris have to make a very difficult decision that will change their lives forever. Also, Tris and Four as a pairing very much reminded me of Yelena and Valek. Both couples are forced to work together, they don't quite trust each other, and the chemistry between them is overwhelming.

My next chosen book is 'Wild Magic' by Tamora Pierce. I adore this book, just as I loved 'Poison Study'. I just spoke about couples, and Daine and Numair will always be a power couple to me, just as Valek and Yelena are. Both books have strong Fantasy elements to them, they are part of a series, have female leads, are written by women, need I go on?

Seeing as I don't get to express my love for Tamora Pierce's writing too often, let's go for another one of hers, shall we? 'Alanna: The First Adventure' was the first book by her that I read and I instantly fell in love with it. Though The Immortals series remains my favourite, they both contain strong females and are set in the same universe. I think that's enough to link them together.

'Moonfall' by Vanessa Morton is my last choice this month for one reason. At the very start of both this book and the book before, two siblings (twins in fact) choose to swap places in order to change their fate. While Alanna switches with her brother so that she can become a Knight while he studies magic, Rachav swaps her place in the Moon Temple's ranks with her sister, Zaron. I really enjoyed both books and highly recommend them!

Ta dah! I hope you enjoyed reading my entry for this month, I can't wait until November comes!

Life Of A Blogger: Most Prized Possession.

Oh wow, I can see this being a tricky topic for some. I did have a good, long think about it, but in the end it could only be one thing.

This is Ricky the Raccoon. He's balding, his head is a bit wobbly, but I love him very much. I have had this teddy since I was very young, a baby in fact. Apparently, my Mum received him as a Birthday present in April, a month and a bit before I was born. When I was, it very soon became clear that I loved and appreciated this Teddy far more than she did, and so he was passed onto me. Since then, he has accompanied me to bed many a night, on holiday, on school trips and even to my new flat. Suffice to say, Ricky and I will be inseparable for the rest of our lives.